Tag to Red Hot
by Nimahh
Summary: Story beginning following the night Lisbon spends with Mashburn. Both Jane and Lisbon are confronted with a series of feelings that they aren't sure how to deal with.
1. Chapter 1

**Tag to Red Hot: story starting following Lisbon and Mashburn's night together.**

 _This is going to be a multi- chapter story to keep me amused over the summer. I'd also like to say thank you all for your kind feedback on my last story! It's lovely to know that there is still a strong Mentalist community. If you fancied leaving a review that would be fab!_

Jane pulled up behind the team van, his Citroen DS looking tiny in comparison to the huge people carrier. Monday morning had brought with it a new case, and as he decided; fresh misery. He stepped out of the car and stretched, breathing in the fresh September air. They were in a carpark that once served the now deserted diner.

The previous week pursuing Yuri Bajoran had been good fun. When most of your days involved tearing apart families and relationships; driving fast cars, attending fancy parties and spending ludicrous amounts of money, worked to provide some light relief.

For all his arrogance, Mashburn amused Jane. He was like a child. A very wealthy child who was bored of experiences his money could buy. He wanted thrills. With that, Jane could both sympathise and facilitate. He laughed at the memory of driving his car blindfolded.

He spotted Cho with local police, Rigsby and Grace talking to the witnesses at the scene. Lisbon however, did not appear to be around yet.

He marched up to Cho. "Morning. What's the deal here?" he asked. His eyes were still scanning the area for Lisbon.

Cho glanced up from his notebook nonchalantly; "double homicide. Two men. Early- twenties. Both shot in close range. One in the chest, the other in the head. Local PD think it's a gang hit. Both have a tattoo on their left arm of a bird". He looked up at Jane and questioned "any thoughts?"

Jane shrugged and walked around the car where the bodies of both men were still in the two front seats. They were both fit and powerful, the sort of people you wouldn't think could be taken down by a small piece of metal. But behind their strength, he could see how young they were.

"Which gang?" Jane asked, pointing at the tattoo. Cho almost smiled; "Swifts. They're rich university kids. Started off as a fraternity but expanded into recreational drugs. They don't cause much beef, they just have money and time".

"Huh" remarked Jane. He paused and leaned his head inside the window of the car. Cho heard him sniff.

Jane stepped back and smiled, turning on his heels towards Cho. It was at this point that he heard the slamming of Lisbon's car door. He looked towards her but she darted straight towards Rigsby and Van Pelt. Her body language was nervous and tense, but she smiled broadly as she reached Grace.

"Jane" Cho prompted "any thoughts on these two before I sign the bodies over to forensics?".

Jane nodded "It's not a gang hit. That would've been done somewhere more visible to make a statement. They don't pose a serious threat to anyone. No… I think they were lovers. This one…" he gestured to the smaller man behind the wheel "had just been dumped. You can see the tears dried on his cheeks. I think his friend here ended their relationship. So furious and feeling abandoned, the driver shoots him, realises what he's done, then turns the gun to himself"

"There's a lot of supposition there, Jane" Cho responded, signing off the form to hand the bodies over to forensics. He knew however, that a Jane hunch was rarely wrong.

Jane meanwhile had wondered over to Lisbon. As he got closer, he could tell she was wearing the same clothes as the night before. As if she could read into his glance, she adjusted the straps of her camisole ashamedly, pulling it further up her chest. His heart dropped slightly. He realised why she hadn't changed.

The trio of CBI agents were interviewing a man and a woman in their late thirties.

"Jane, this is Alec and Lisa Owen. They live in the apartment above the diner. They called the police after hearing gunshots in the early hours of this morning" Van Pelt summarised.

Jane looked at them. They looked tired, run down by the world. He guessed they used to own the diner, but couldn't afford to keep it open.

Jane smiled warmly at them, then asked "do you normally get many visitors here?"

Lisa shrugged "the odd one or too. It's a make- out spot for a lot of the local kids. The diner has been closed a couple of years and I figure no one thinks we live here"

Cho came over and joined them. "Lisa here, says the car park is a space for lovers" Jane informed him. He shot Lisbon a glance at this point and watched her squirm, shifting her weight from her right foot to her left and folding her arms across her body as he mentioned the word "lovers".

"That's not enough evidence Jane- even you know that. Even if they were lovers, it doesn't mean somebody else didn't kill them" Cho responded cooly.

"Hmm… Well I'm done here" Jane concluded "you can stay and find some more of your 'evidence'" he smirked and turned to back to his car.

He was waiting for Lisbon to reprimand him, but she hadn't. No snappy comment to pull him back into line, or force him to stay at the crime scene. She'd just let him go.

He had joked about her sleeping with Mashburn. Encouraged her to have some fun even. But he hadn't considered that she might actually do it. His own response annoyed him. He should be pleased for her. Glad that she had allowed her guard down, let herself be vulnerable and allowed herself some pleasure. But he felt jealous. Frustrated. Angry that another man could make her happy in a way he couldn't.

He cared about her deeply. He knew that when he shot Hardy to save her. But it wasn't like he was sleeping with her or should have any say in who she was sleeping with at all. He had always been the jealous type, overwhelming any man who would so much as look at Angela. He wanted to protect her, make sure she had only the best… He swallowed the lump in his throat… He wanted to make sure she had someone who wouldn't let her come to any harm.

Did he feel that way about Lisbon?

He started his car, speeding away from the diner to return to the CBI.

"what was that about?" asked Rigbsy

"it's Jane" responded Cho flatly "could be anything"

Lisbon thanked that Owens for their help and turned to the rest of the team. "Rigsby, Cho, head to the university and talk to other members of the gang. Van Pelt and I will head back to the office. Jane is probably right but we're going to need more than just his best guess to close this one formally"

They went their separate ways and Van Pelt joined Lisbon in her car. Lisbon turned the radio on quickly - the news broadcast stopping any conversation between the two.

She stared at the road. She knew Jane would've worked out she had slept with Mashburn. What she didn't account for was that he would care. Or that him knowing that she had done, would make her feel uncomfortable in this way.

The way that his eyes had moved over her body made her wince. She tried to reason with herself as she joined the highway. She was an adult. She was single. Mashburn was… fun. Jane shouldn't make her feel bad for enjoying herself… dammit he had basically encouraged her into doing it.

"Boss?" Van Pelt questioned, turning down the volume control on the radio "are you okay?" she looked at Lisbon, more concerned than curious.

"Uh… I'm fine" Lisbon replied, her voice cracking. She realised how long she had been driving for not speaking. "have you got anything come through from forensics confirming identity?". Back to business she thought- keep her mind off Jane.

"yup, the driver was Richard Sanderson. Age 21. The passenger was Jacob Lawrence, also 21. Home addresses are about 20 miles North of the office" Van Pelt informed her. "I'm just sending some stuff over to Cho and Rigs about their university life. Lawrence lifted weights, Sanderson was on the football team. Did okay at school but nothing special".

"thanks" replied Lisbon, relaxing her grip on the steering wheel.

As she pulled into the CBI car park, a new flush of nervousness swept through her. She cursed her body's response.

She knew rationally that she had done nothing wrong. But on some level she felt she had let Jane down. Jane meant a lot to her. Despite being a pain in the ass, she felt safe in his presence and enjoyed his company. In her times of need, he was there for her- like no one else had been.

Sure, she cared about him. It was more than just closing cases, but was it more than just friendly affection?


	2. Chapter 2

**Tag to Red Hot; chapter 2:**

 _Thank you so much for all the lovely feedback on the first chapter. I'm going to try and keep a bit more of a plot going in this story although the focus will be on Lisbon and Jane exploring their feelings for each other. This is going to be a 3- parter so things will be moving pretty quickly from this point._

Lisbon and Van Pelt stood in the elevator together. Van Pelt could see that Lisbon was unsettled. She wasn't grumpy, just nervous. It was something she didn't expect from her boss, who normally seemed so seemed so in control.

Lisbon followed Van Pelt into the bull- pen, physically relaxing when she saw Jane wasn't on his couch. He must be up in the attic.

She turned to Van Pelt "Grace, I'm going to jump in the shower but I'll be ready to head out in 20. Can you compile everything we know about the victims so far? It would be great to close this one quickly". Van Pelt nodded and diligently sat down to her computer to run the evidence they had already had.

Lisbon meanwhile, made her way to her locker then onto the changing room. She changed into her towel then stepped into the shower. Turning the temperature all the way up to the point where it was almost painful on her skin, she scrubbed herself clean- washing away the scent of Mashburn from the night before.

What she had done wasn't dirty, but it had made her feel that way. Well, Jane knowing had made her feel that way. She felt ashamed for sleeping with Mashburn just because he was fun and convenient. It felt cheap.

She tried to reason with herself. Was this shame she felt because her one-night stand seemed base compared to Jane's monogamous devotion to his wife? Or was it because she felt as if she had betrayed him and the relationship they had? Whilst never sexual, she had been more intimate emotionally with him than anyone else in recent years. She would be lying to herself if she didn't recognise that he was attractive or that he had made her better, both as a person and a detective.

She banished these thoughts to a corner of her mind and flipped the temperature down to freezing cold. The blast shocked her out of her thoughtful daze and back to the reality of the case. She changed quickly, towel- drying her hair, and headed back out to meet Van Pelt.

Whilst Lisbon had been in the shower, Jane had returned to his couch and was enjoying teasing Van Pelt. Her honesty and character- wearing her heart on her sleeve- made her an easy target for his gentle banter. It also gave him a distraction from thinking about Lisbon.

He watched Lisbon march back into her office, her wet hair dripping onto her top. She packed her bag efficiently and walked back over to join them. Van Pelt jumped up to give her the collated files on both of the victims. Despite having been on the team the best part of 3 years, and in that time observing brutal murder and loss, she was not yet cynical. She still wanted to please her boss and was fantastically cheerful.

"Good to go?" Lisbon asked Jane. He nodded and stood up from his couch. He became distracted by the way her wet hair was working to make her top see- through, her bra becoming visible underneath. He swallowed the lump in his throat and followed her out towards the elevator.

In her car, Jane asked to look through the files. He read through, providing Lisbon with relevant details. The atmosphere was dispassionate and cold.

Interviewing bereaved parents was not something Jane enjoyed and as a result he was calm and efficient. Lisbon however, was sensing that the environment between them was becoming increasingly cool. She almost wished he would say something inappropriate so that she could reprimand him. Their relationship worked best when they were involved in harmless tiffs.

In the first household, eyebrows were raised when Jane asked whether they believed their son to be gay, but he sensed however that this was genuine surprise rather than shame. There was no anger, only more tears, as it became apparent that the parents didn't know their son as well as they believed they did.

Jane sat quietly as Lisbon finished asking questions. He felt no satisfaction from the fact that the answers the victims' families were providing, validated his original theory. He was ready to leave.

As they stood up to go from the second household, Lisbon's phone range. He could hear her talking to Rigsby. Other members of the frat had confirmed that the two victims had been lovers for several months, but that recently the relationship had become fraught. Jealousy and a growing sense of inequality had recently caused arguments that had become physical.

Lisbon relayed this to Jane. "Looks like you were right. Once we've got results from ballistics and finger prints from the gun, I think we can consider this one closed. Seems strange that it only took us a morning".

He considered pointing out that it only took him a couple of minutes at the crime scene, but he decided not to mock her. Instead he commented "you could take the afternoon off, relax a bit, catch up on some sleep".

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realised their implication. The last thing he wanted to do was make it obvious that he was thinking about her and Mashburn. He just thought she should work less.

She stared at him closely for a moment- clearly debating whether to respond to his statement or its implication. She chose the former "sadly Jane I've always got paperwork to be doing. Solving crime isn't as sexy as you make it seem". But she was riled by what he had said.

He smiled faintly, and they got back into the car together. Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel as they drove, demonstrating her distraction.

He felt the need to apologise. He could see his behaviour had made her feel uncomfortable. She was as tense as he was. He had encouraged her to have some fun then had resented her for doing so. That wasn't fair.

He himself, became distracted by her lips. She was anxiously drawing them between her teeth. God, it was attractive.

She could tell he was looking at her. Not just looking. His eyes were transfixed on her. She felt as if he was examining her, reading her like a suspect. Looking to find her guilty or the best way to provoke her. What right did he have to make her feel uncomfortable?

She turned towards him and snapped "What, Jane?"

He jumped- breaking out of his trance. "Sorry" he apologised genuinely "I was just staring into space… I didn't mean to make you feel…"

She cut him off "Guilty? Bad for sleeping with Mashburn? Cheap? I don't understand why you feel the need to mock my private life" she snarled.

"Lisbon!" he pleaded, "that was not what I ever planned to do! I'm just surprised that you actually went back with him"

"And why is that Jane? Because you think I'm too much of a prude to sleep with someone? Because I'm not sexy? Are you surprised that a man might be interested in me?"

"Please Lisbon" he begged "you're being unreasonable"

"Oh I'm being unreasonable?! First you encourage me to sleep with him, flaunt me as his girlfriend- to the point where his crazed ex-lover tries to stab me. Then now you're mocking me for it? She shouted at him- her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Teresa, I'm not mocking you for it. I want you to be happy, and you deserve the most love and affection. I was surprised you slept with Mashburn because you are so much better than him"

She paused for a moment. His words sounded genuine. "Thank you Jane, but I'm an adult and I can make these decisions for myself. He's not someone I'm going to marry or I envisage spending the rest of my life with, but last night was fun. Sometimes I want to feel wanted, desired, precious even"

He felt his heart both lift and sink within her speech. He was glad to hear that Mashburn was just a one- night deal, but it saddened him that he hadn't been the one to make her feel special. To give her to love and care she deserved.

"you deserve to feel like that" he murmured, gently stroking his hand up and down her thigh. He felt her muscles tense into his hand and then relax quickly. Her eyes locked with his, and her face softened immediately to form a tender smile.

"thank you" she whispered, forgetting for a moment that she was driving.

They drove the rest of the way back to the office in content silence, both deep in though with how to proceed.

All of Lisbon's previous anger towards Jane had dissipated and she began to humour the idea that Jane was slightly jealous. Whilst the rational part of her brain argued that he was only expressing friendly concern for her sleeping with a bit of a sleaze-bag, she also felt excited. Jane was a man who could have any woman he wanted. She hadn't considered that she would ever be attractive to him.

Jane meanwhile sat contemplating the morning's events and the confusing tide of feelings that was rising within in. He found Lisbon attractive, but until this point had never allowed himself to consider that he might be attracted to her. He became painfully conscious of the wedding band on his left ring finger.

Angela would never not be his first love, the mother of his child or his wife, whom he was determined to avenge, but Lisbon offered him a future. He was deeply fond of her, and it was clear that she felt the same way about him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tag to Red Hot: Chapter 3**

 _Hello! Apologies that this is a fair bit later than the previous instalments. I've tried to wrap things up nicely to conclude the Jane/ Lisbon/ Mashburn angst. As ever, feedback is always appreciated!_

The afternoon passed without much excitement.

The ballistics report had come back to confirm Jane's theory. The gun only had one set of fingerprints on and the angle that the bullet had entered the driver's head confirmed a murder- suicide.

A little after 5, Cho began to pack up. Rigsby followed suit shortly after. Van- Pelt continued to beaver away until nearer 6 but soon she was gone too. From his couch, Jane observed how quiet the office was. It felt somewhat lonely, but he reminded himself that this was only because no one new had been killed that afternoon.

He closed his eyes and focused his hearing. He could hear the clicks coming from Lisbon's fingers on her keyboard across the bullpen. Trust Lisbon to stay late even when the case was closed.

He had spent all afternoon musing quietly about what to do. Dammit. He was usually so certain. Pursuing Lisbon brought with it a lot of problems, but the thought of not having her drove him wild. The jealousy and urge to protect her that rose up inside of him when he imagined her with Mashburn was something he was not sure he could cope with again.

He picked himself up- adjusting his hair in the reflection in the glass, and marched towards her. He stopped just outside her office, observing her. Her eyes were transfixed on the screen and she absent- mindedly bit her bottom lip. She was beautiful.

It confirmed for him that he was doing the right thing.

"hey" he started

"hey yourself" she replied, looking up from her laptop and flashing him a big smile. His stomach knotted, but he enjoyed the sensation.

"nearly done?" he asked gently

"oh, I finished a while ago" Lisbon replied "I'm doing paperwork now that should've been done months ago. You piss a lot of important people off" she chuckled.

"that I do" responded Jane "but I won't say they don't deserve it". She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. She knew he was right.

"So…" his breath caught in his throat "if you've done all the essential paperwork you need to do… can I take you for dinner?" he asked. He had meant the question to sound assertive, confident even, but instead he sounded like a schoolboy asking a girl out to the cinema.

Lisbon paused from typing and looked up at him, locking her eyes with his. He could see the fear and uncertainty she was feeling, but that only reassured him. If she was too confident he would know that she didn't understand the implication of his question.

"Yes, Jane… thank you… that would be lovely" she said. She paused for a moment to gather herself before closing her laptop and locking it in her desk. She was a little taken aback by him asking her to dinner. They had both been aware of the growing fondness between them, but over the last two years it had never culminated in anything. It had taken her sleeping with someone else to bring it to the forefront.

He could see her movements were still cautious as she walked tentatively over to the coat rack to grab her jacket.

"Okay?" he checked with her

"Yes" she said, her voice sounding more confident "where are we heading?". She was nervous, but she decided that if Jane was ready to do this, so was she.

As they reached the carpark, she turned to head to where she normally parked her car. "Dammit! My car is still at home. I never picked it up"

Jane turned to her "Lisbon its fine. I can drop you home". He was surprised at her frustration but he sensed it was just another layer of shame. It was another reminder of where she had spent last night. "C'mon" he said grabbing her hand and pulling her towards his small Citroen.

"not the death trap" she moaned sarcastically. Her tone lightened the mood and he chuckled as he dragged her towards his car.

He drove them towards a small Italian restaurant close to her home. It was a place he had been to a couple of times before. He enjoyed the food and the fact that they played opera as opposed to jazz. Jazz, Jane mused, was music that people didn't want to hear. It filled the gaps in conversations on unsuccessful dates where interest was running dry.

The waiter met Jane like he was an old friend and kissed Lisbon on the cheek enthusiastically. He directed them to a table that was relatively private within the busy restaurant.

As they sat at the table, Lisbon considered what they were doing. The man that sat in front of her was one she cared about deeply. He had killed for her yes, been there for her when she doubted her own sanity, but never had she considered that he might feel more than a friendly affection towards her.

The atmosphere was different and they both recognised that they were deeply invested in this working. It was a rare occasion that she could read how Jane was feeling. It made her blush slightly that she was making him nervous. It was only dinner but she knew what this meant for him. The last woman he had been for dinner with was Christina Fry.

She pushed those thoughts to one side and forced herself to relax and enjoy the moment.

"so what would you recommend? She asked. A smile creeping onto her face. She wasn't amused, just happy. More than happy even.

Jane had ordered a bottle of wine and they were steadily making their way through it.

The conversation was flowing just as freely, and Jane felt himself being open and honest in a way he hadn't in many years. He regaled stories of his life on the carnival tour; laughing at some of the characters he met along the way. Lisbon reciprocated; sharing tales of her high school experience and time at police college. Her life hadn't had the highs and lows that Jane's had, but he showed a deep interest in everything she said.

At times they bickered vehemently, teasing each other heavily, but always relenting and smoothing over with compliments.

They shared a tiramisu for desert. Lisbon finished with cream in the corner of her mouth and Jane tenderly wiped it away- enjoying the soft touch on her skin. Again, their eyes locked and she held his hand against her face for a moment.

Despite her protests, he paid for the meal and they headed back to his car.

"Thank you for a lovely evening" Lisbon said once they were on the road

"My pleasure" replied Jane "I'm sorry I've behaved so erratically today"

"No problem Jane, I got used to it a long time ago" she laughed

He looked hurt and she considered what she had said. Sure he could be a nightmare but she didn't resent him for it.

"Jane…" he cut her off

"You know I only acted like that because I was jealous. I couldn't cope with the thought of you with Mashburn, I thought I could. I wanted you to have some fun, but I quickly realised I didn't want you to have fun with another man…" he paused to catch his breath

She held her hand up to stop him.

"Jane, I didn't mean it like that. You can be one hell of a pain the ass but you make my life better, lighter. I'd take the paperwork you cause me and all the officials I have to appease that you've pissed off any day. It wouldn't be the same without you" she continued, made more confident by his speech "Mashburn didn't mean anything. I was flattered by his interest and it was fun for a night, but there was nothing there".

He smiled and murmured "thank you"

She placed her hand on his thigh and stroked his leg affectionately. The drive had gone quickly and she noticed that they were only a block away from her flat. The impetus lay with her for how things should proceed.

He parked up outside her apartment building and once the engine was off, took her hand and kissed it gently. The tenderness of Jane's touch made Lisbon want more. He was being polite, not overstepping any sort of line- a true gentleman, but gentle wasn't what she wanted now.

"I've got a bottle of whiskey on the go" she proposed tentaively

"Teresa" she said strongly "I'm only going to come up if you would like me to"

She exhaled audibly, pretend frustrated that he was forcing her to formally invite him up

"okay" she responded, pouting her lips slightly "would you like to come back to mine?"

"it would be my pleasure" he answered, smiling smugly.

They left the car and wandered up the stairs to her apartment. His hand fell to the small of her back- guiding her up towards the door.

Lisbon indulged in the intimacy of the gesture. He made her feel safe, but as his hand moved down to gently stroke her ass, she also felt a wave of excitement for what the night might bring.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _Thank you for staying with it until the end! I might explore some Jisbon sexy times in a later fic but for now I'm happy to leave it to the imagination._


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